Advertising appliance.



' G. SIFP.

ADVERTIMNG APPLIANCE.

APPLIOATION'I'ILBD MAY 5, 1908.

Patented Jun 8, 1909.

4 SHEETS-$5131 1.

h es .7 [X Y Z WITNESSE INVENTOR ATTORNEY e. SIFF. ADVERTISING APPLIANGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 190B.

rammed June 8, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

G. SIEF. ADVERTISING APPLI ANGE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 6,1908.

Patented June.8, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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GEORGE SIFF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DAVID BEAR, OF ELIZABETH- PORT, NEW JERSEY.

ADVERTISING APPLIANCE.

Patented June a, 1909.

Application filed May 5, 1908. Serial No. 430,996.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE SIFF, a subject of the Emperor of Russia, residing at the city of New York, in the borough of Manhattan and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Advertising Appliances, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an advertising apparatus for use in public places and designed to exhibit a continuously changing series of advertising posters or inscriptions.

More specifically, the invention consists in a means for supporting and moving a continuous web of fabric or material on which the posters or inscriptions are contained, in such a waythat such inscriptions are successively presented for a certain interval of time at a window or windows in the casing of the apparatus.

The machine includes a clock or watch mechanism together with a form of escapement mechanism which permits the web to move through a predetermined distance at predetermined intervals under the impulse of a power spring or other drivmg means. I have devised a form of escapement which does not impose any heavy amount of work on the clock or watch mechanism, but which acts with great positiveness to release the power spring for the web, notwithstanding the power and force of such spring.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the features of construction and combination as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of an advertising apparatus embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View showing a web and its driving mechanism. Fig. 4 is a section on a plane at right-angles to that of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the driving gear train and the escapement mechanism. Fig. 6 is a view looking toward the left in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are designated by the same reference sign, I will first consider the web andthe character of its. supporting and; guidlng means by which a comparatively long endless web may be employed and stored in a compact compass. I provide two separate endless webs 20 and 21 which are guided over a similar series of rolls on both sides of the machine.

Each web passes over the initial or driving drum 1 and from thence upward over the roll 2 and downward to the roll 3, then over the rolls 4, 5, 6, and 7 after which the web passes upward over the roll 8 and through the series 9, 10, 11 and 12, back to the driving drum 1. For the purpose of giving a positive driving engage ment for the web, I perforate the latter with a series of holes 23 along its side edges, which mesh with the teeth or pins 22 of the drums 1.

Any desired supporting means may be employed' for the various drums or rolls for the web. I have shown frame members 14 which support the castings 98, each having a plurality of pivot pins 16 at the points of the desired axes of the upper rolls. Another frame 95, including a similar series of pivot pins 16, supports the lower rolls. This lower frame also has journal bearings 56 for the driving drums 1. As a take-up means for adjusting the tension of the web or taking up any loose ness therein, I provide adjustable bearings for the rolls 2 and comprising movable blocks 25 which can be adjusted upward in recesses 26 in the frame 98 by means of the screws 24. These blocks carry the pivot pins 17 for the rolls 2.

- 15 designates bars connecting the castings 98 and holding them together in rigid relation.

The means for driving the drums 1 will best be understood from a consideration of Fig. 4. There is journaled in the frame 95 a shaft 29 reduced at its bearing portions 30 and 31 so as to be held against longitudinal displacement. This shaft has a loose sleeve 32 thereon, which carries a gear 28 meshing with the teeth of pinions 27 fixed to the drums 1 and constituting a driving means therefor. The sleeve 32 also has a pinion 33 driven through a gear train 34, 36 and 37, the gear 37 being keyed to the shaft 29. In this way it is evident that, when the shaft 29 is rotated, the sleeve 32 and the drums 1 are driven at a multiplied speed ratio.

The shaft 29 has keyed thereto a pair of gears 77 and 38 formingpart of a single collar 78 keyed to the shaft at 40 The gear 38 is driven through a multiplying gear train from a power spring 50, under certain circumstances. This power spring is keyed to a shaft 35 at 49, the shaft 35 being incidentally made use of as a support for the gears'34, 36 already mentioned. I make the machine by a pawl 54: engaging circumferential ratchet teeth 58 on this housing. As will be later described, the power spring is initi ally wound up or tensioned by rotating the housing 51 which is thereupon locked against return movement by the pawl 5a. The power of the spring 50 is transmitted through shaft 85. to, the gear 47 keyed thereon at 8, which drives the shaft 29 through the following gear train: gears L7, as, 44, E3, 41, 38. The gears 44c and 45 are l6osely sleeved on shaft- 29, and the gears ll and 4L3 form part of a loose sleeve 32 on shaft 35. The sleeve 42 also carries a ratchet wheel 57 (see Figs. 8 and There is also provided on the shaft 35 another loose sleeve 62 having a cam 65 and an escapement wheel 67 (see Fig. 6.) This sleeve 62 also includes in its organization a spring 7 O which I shall term a secondary spring. In the normal condition of the apparatus the spring 70 is under tension and acts to impel the escapement wheel 67 in a right-handed direction in Fig. 6. This escapement wheel is, however, held against movement by a pair of levers 79 and 80 with hooked extremities 81 and 82 which are capable of respectively falling into the path of separate lugs 68 and 69 on the escapement wheel. Each of the levers 79 and 80 has a downwardly projecting extremity respectively extending into the path of lugs 85 and 86 on the wheel 87. This latter wheel is clock driven by the time mechanism 88 and may make a complete revolution in a minute of time or other period, as desired. At each half revolution one of the lugs 85 or 86 displaces its corresponding lever 88 or 84 and removes the hooked extremity 81 or 82 thereof out of the path of lug 68 or 69 on the escapement wheel 67, permitting a half revolution of the latter under the influence of the secondary spring 70. This rotation of the escapement wheel 67 is accompanied by a corresponding movement of the cam 65 forming part of the same revoluble sleeve, and this cam displaces certain holding dogs 58 and 59, particularly shown in- Fig. 6.

The holding dogs 58 and 59 directly engage the teeth of a ratchet wheel 57, said dogs loosely depending for this purpose from a rod 61 extending transversely between the frame members 95. These dogs normally remain in holding relation to the escapement wheel 57, but are capable of being displaced from such holding relation by the integral protuberances or inward extensions 63 and ea which lie alongside the ratchet wheel 57 in the path of the cam 65- As the cam 65 makes its movement through half a revolution in the manner already de scribed, the holding dogs 58 and 59 are selecti-vely displaced so as to release the ratchet wheel 57 and permit the latter to make a movement equal to half the space of a tooth, assuming that this ratchet wheel is under tension to move right-handedly in Fig. (i. This ratchet wheel is so impelled by being directly keyed to the sleeve 42, already referred to, which forms part of the gear train by which the shaft 29 is driven from the main spring 50, as already described. Accordingly this gear train is normally locked against movement by the dogs 58 and 59, but is permitted to rotate and drive the webs when either of the dogs 58 or 59 is released by the engagement of the cam 95.

I provide means for restoring the tension of the secondary spring 70 after each actuation in the above manner. For this purpose the outer extremity of this spring 70 is fixed to a housing 71 loosely sleeved on the sleeve 62 and driven through a multiplying gear train 73, 7:1, 75, 76, 77, from the sleeve 78 which is keyed to the shaft 29. Accordingly, whenever the shaft 29 rotates, as already described, the housing 71 of secondary spring 70 is rotated through a sul'licient distance to entirely restore the tension of the spring 70. The gears 73 and 74 form part of a sleeve loose on the shaft 29, and the gears 75 and 76 form part of a sleeve loose on the sleeve 62. This is merely a convenient means of supporting these gears.

The appaatus is conveniently housed in a casing 93 supported on a post 99 and having windows 9a. At its lower side, the casing 93 has a bottom wall or partition 99. separating the cavity of its interior from that of the supporting post. At one or both sides of the casing there may be provided a re1novable door 100 which can be taken off by alining the notches 101. with corresponding lugs 102 of the casing.

103 designates a key-hole in the cover, by which the latter can be locked against rotation; and prevented from removal. \Vhen this cover is taken off the power spring 50 is exposed and can be wound up by rotating the housing 46 in any desired manner.

The use and operation are as follows: The power spring 50 being wound up, and a. web provided with the proper advertising inscriptions, it is merely necessary to start the time mechanism 88 in operation, which causes a slow isochronous rotation of the. wheel 87. As the latter rotates it alternately displaces the levers 79 and 80 at periodic intervals, and these in turn release the escapement wheel (37 to make successive movements through half a revolution. These latter movements act through the cam ()5 to alternately displace the dogs 58 and 59, and

the displacement of these dogs releases the ratchet wheel 57 to make a. movement through the space of half a tooth. As this ratchet wheel forms part of the direct gear train from the main driving spring 50 to the web driving drums 1, the latter are permitted to rotate and displace the web through a predetermined distance every time a dog 58 or 59 is acted upon. The movement of the driving gear train referred to always acts to tension the secondary spring 70 which is accordingly in condition to drive the escapement wheel 67 for the next succeeding operation. In this way the web is continuously operated by an intermittent step-by-step movement as long as the power spring 50 remains tensioned or the clock mechanism 88 remains in operation. The multiplying value of the various gear trains is such that the web moves through a distance at each actuation requisite to position a new advertising inscription or poster in front of the window 94. The webs and other parts being in duplicate on opposite sides of the machine, it is evident that the advertising inscriptions on both windows 94 are simultaneously changed in a proper and regular sequence, as is required.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, an endless web, a driving roll therefor, a spring drum, a gear train for driving said roll from said spring drum, a secondary spring, an escapement mechanism actuated by said secondary spring for releasing said gear train to drive said web, and means whereby said secondary spring is automatically maintained tensioned by said spring drum.

2. In a machine of the class described, an endless web, a power spring arranged to drive the same, a secondary spring, an escapement wheel connected thereto, escapement devices act-ing on said wheel, and dogs Ior releasing said power spring and permitting the same to drive the web.

3. In a machine of the class described, a

, driving spring, an endless web, a gear train connecting said spring and web, a secondary spring, an escapement wheel driven thereby, time mechanism for intermittently releasing said escapement wheel, and means actuated by the movement of said escapement wheel for releasing said gear train and permitting a movement of the web.

4. In a machine of the class described, an endless Web, a power spring, a gear train for driving said web from said spring, a secondary spring, a cam having an escapement wheel rotatively impelled by said secondary spring, time mechanism for intermittently releasing said escapement wheel, and means displaced by said cam for releasing said gear train to drive the web.

5. In a machine of the class described, an endless web, means normally tensioned to drive the same, a spring-impelled escapement wheel having a pair of lugs, a pair of levers respectively adapted to engage said lugs, time mechanism including an isochronouslymoving wheel having a pair of lugs adapted to intermittently displace said levers alternately, and means actuated by said escapement wheel for permitting the movement of the driving means.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my signa ture, in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE SIFF.

Witnesses: VVALDO M. CHAPIN MARY S. HANDY. 

